Prior art apparatuses for storing objects above a floor surface, which may be referred to as overhead storage systems as they are often known in industry, comprise a drive arrangement for raising and lowering a support member on which the objects are supported for storage above the floor surface. Conventionally, the drive arrangement includes flexible links such as straps or cables that are wrapped onto spools for raising the support member.
One shortcoming of such prior art apparatuses includes uneven wrapping of spools which results in uneven travel distance of the depending flexible links and, consequently, changes in orientation of the support member as it is raised, which typically is not desirable. Another shortcoming includes inconsistent lifting capacity and travel speed of the depending links, and a further shortcoming may be less speed and more power at initial wrapping of the links about the spools.